Bloodworth Chronicles: The Price of the Past (SYOC)
by EmbitteredCakeBatter
Summary: SYOC CLOSED. If you're born a mage, you're born with a figurative hourglass, sand slipping away, bringing you ever closer to a fate worse than death. For lack of a better word, you're doomed - that is, you were doomed. Now, there's Eladon, a sanctuary where your ghosts can't haunt you. For the first time in your life, safety, but as shadows lurk closer, is safety simply a lie?
1. Chapter 1

There was a figure in the overgrown garden, tall and slender, lithe and lean. Phantom-like, they wandered beneath the purple wisteria, that fragrant sweet scent clinging to their gold-flecked cloak. They were too pretty to be handsome, too handsome to be pretty, cheekbones like a slanting cliff, eyes like an angry pool. Under their breath, they spoke in tones of silver, though no one listened but the crows and the breeze and the starlet ivy because all the children were indoors. The figure spoke of the children, locks of ebony lashing across their strawberry lips at the urgency of the Northwind (strange indeed, as such a silly thing as North did not exist here in Eladon).

"They're safe here," they said, bending to smell a rose that grew in sunset hues. "Nothing can enter without our say, not even the Expiravit. The children are happy here, more importantly, I would say."

The figure's face went briefly blank, their hand slipping down the flower's dark stem to graze across the sharp thorns. A ruby bead of blood slipped from the tip of their long finger, spreading into a unique stain as it hit the lace at their wrist. The figure sighed. "You're complacent. You lack perspective. You've forgotten what it feels like to be hunted - the children remember. I remember."

Their full lips pulled into a frown. "So dramatic, Tierney."

The frown slipped into an unbalanced smile. "Don't worry, brother Dashiell, dear. I'll remain vigilant enough for the both of us, as I always have. We'll guide the children, train them, and," The smile faltered, a storm brewing in their dark-blue eyes, "It will be enough. It will have to be."

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So, that was the little intro - I hope you liked it! I know it was short, but how I am supposed to write something of substantial length when I'm missing half my cast? Yes, that's right…this is a SYOC. For those you who may be new to this game, that means submit your own/original character.

Now, on to the things you need to know to survive in this word!

This is a fantasy/magical/mythological alternate universe to our own. The time period is modern, but a specific year is probably not going to be mentioned. Mages exist. They're born like everyone else, except they rarely make to adulthood; heck, they rarely make it to adolescence. Why?

Because they're hunted, or rather haunted. On the day a mage is born, something else comes into the world with them. These dark, incorporeal beings are known as Expiravit (the Latin word for ghost); an Expiravit is known as a mage's umbra - their shadow self (they take the form of what the adult mage is going to look like). Their goal is to consume their mage, to literally absorb them and their magical energy. This is the only way an Expiravit can overcome their incorporeal state and fully flesh into existence in the "real" world. These phantom feeders hail from the shadowy realm of Somnum, which is - in simple terms - another dimension.

The only way a mage could survive was to spend their life running, living in terror, casting protection spells, dwelling in sacred places - that was before Eladon. Like Somnum, Eladon is a "pocket" dimension. It was created by a powerful mage named Eladonia Bloodworth whose dream was to protect all mages. Because of her, there now exists a safe place for mages - a sanctuary. No Expiravit, no dark beings, can get into Eladon. But no great feat comes without cost, and the price of her creation was her life. Eladonia was consumed by her spell; it tore apart her very being, body, mind, and soul.

Her children, Lady and Lord Bloodworth, attempt to carry on her selfless tradition by opening Bloodworth Manor to all displaced mage children, which is where your submissions come in. They magically scour the globe, trying to find the young mages before it's too late.

Now, the form! Please, if you will be so kind, submit them by PM only and fill out every section to the best of your ability. Use complete sentences in most parts unless it's appropriate not to do so. If you have any questions at all about anything, don't hesitate to ask me. I want to be involved with everyone whose character I accept. Detailed and thoughtful forms get accepted. I want unique, individualistic, diverse characters - go crazy! And please, for Bob's sake, give them flaws! Don't be afraid to send me "bad" people; bad guys/gals are fun, and I like them. I want depth, I want realism, I want people I'll have fun writing.

* means optional.

~FORM~

BASIC:

\- Full name (first, middle, and last)

\- Gender

\- Nicknames*

\- Birthday (year is not needed)

\- Age (notice, this story is rated M, so let's try to keep everyone 14 and older, for violence reasons, and preferably 19 being the eldest)

\- Place of Birth (the "real" world is virtually the same as ours, plus magic)

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

\- Height

\- Weight

\- Build/Body type

\- Hair color

\- Hair texture

\- Eye color

\- Eye shape

\- Distinguishing facial features (nose, mouth, cheeks, etc.)

\- Skin color

\- Race/Ethnicity

\- Scars*

\- Birthmarks* (freckles count too)

\- Physical handicaps*

\- Type of "real world" clothes they wear

PERSONALITY:

\- Describe their overall personality

\- Myers-Briggs personality type (I recommend 16 personalities . com; all you have to do is take the test like your character is answering)

\- Fatal Flaw

\- Big fears

\- Secrets*

\- Pet peeves

\- Quirks/Habits

\- Quotes they would say (at least four, please)

FRIENDS AND FAMILY:

\- How big is their immediate family

\- Describe their parents/guardians (include their relationship with parents/guardians)

\- Describe their siblings (include relationship with siblings, if they have any siblings)

\- How many friends do they have

\- Describe their best friend

\- Do they have a pet or pets?

\- Describe pet(s) (that is, if they even have a pet)

DAILY LIFE AND PAST:

\- Are they organized or is their room cluttered

\- What are their eating habits (sweet tooth, junk food, vegetarian, vegan, strict diet, etc)

\- Allergies*

\- What is the first thing they do in the morning

\- What is the last thing they do at night

\- Personal History/Backstory (What was their life like before Bloodworth Manor, how did they react when they were contacted by the Bloodworths, etc.)

LOVE:

\- Do they believe in love at first sight

\- Are they in a relationship

\- Are they open to a relationship

\- What is their sexuality

\- Are they a virgin

\- Have they ever been in love

\- Have they ever had a broken heart

\- Have they ever broke any else's heart

\- What do they look for in a potential partner

\- What is their outlook on love

\- What is their outlook on marriage

\- What is their outlook on starting a family

MAGICAL:

\- Do they like being a mage

\- Their opinions on magic

\- Their opinions on Expiravit

\- Their first impression of the strange Bloodworths

\- How powerful of a mage are they (Let's not get too narcissistic here, okay?)

\- Any specific magical areas where they excel (examples: divination, alchemy, enchanting, casting, aura reading, etc, etc.)

\- How reliant are they on magic (examples: they never use it, try to use it as little as possible, or they use it for everything, even brushing their teeth)

AUTHOR QUESTIONS:

\- Will you read and review (hint hint, this is important)

\- Will you stay involved in the story, answering pms and such

\- Will you reach out to me if you feel as if I am not doing your character justice

\- Will you be okay if something really bad happens to your character (death, disfigurement, something worse)

\- Is there anything you really feel I should know about your character


	2. Chapter 2

Update: _**December 22, 2017**_

Hey guys, I'm here with a few announcements:

Hi again, people. Today, Dec. 22 where I am, I have an update on my new writing situation. This past Saturday I came "home" from a friend's house to find all my stuff packed in totes on the front porch. Yep, that's right. Sooo, now I'm in the middle of finding a place to live whilst I temporarily move in with that friend, who is - sidenote - an amazing person. If you couldn't tell by all this, chapters may be slow-coming for a while. I really hope you understand. Thank you all for your patience and I apologize for the inconvenience. If I don't update again before Dec. 25, please have a Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas!

 **IMPORTANT SUBMISSION INFO - This SYOC is now officially closed! Unless you've reserved a spot with me earlier and I've gotten back to you, I am NO LONGER ACCEPTING OCS OF EITHER GENDER. Thank you for your time and participation, everyone! I truly appreciate all the interest this story has got.  
**

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 **Q & A:**

 **Q: 1.) Regarding the Expiravits, specifically the shadow self, are they the mage's fears incarnate? Are they their fatal flaw glorified into a being? I'd like a little more information on these beings.**

 **A: No, an Expiravit is not made from a mage's fears (though that would be pretty interesting). An Expiravit is basically a shade made from the dark energy of the realm of Somnum. Because of the magical, other-worldly energy of mages, the Expiravit are able to enter the real world via that connection and 'attach' themselves to that mage. Because of that connection, they take on that mage's adult form, albeit a darker version. They're incorporeal - without that mage's energy, they have no place in the real world at all. It's not really related to a mage's personality, like their fatal flaw, but I promise this will be explained later.**

 **Q: 2.) Regarding Magic, how is Magic describes in this world? Is it separated into different schools or types of Magic? How does one cast Magic? What are the side effects of using Magic too much?**

 **A: Magic isn't a defined, set in stone thing in this world because anyone could potentially be born with it. Humans are pretty creative at using things. So instead of being strictly classified into schools, magic is more loosely grouped into branches based on what a particular mage has an affinity for. So, for example, one could naturally gravitate toward Summoning, so they'd choose to focus on that. But that doesn't mean they can't do other things. One can cast magic wandlessly in this world, through thought or through speech. Traditional magic objects do exist (a crystal ball, for example). The trouble with magic is that it comes with a cost, like everything else. A mage is born with an internal well, so to speak, and it is not infinite. More powerful mages can draw from this well longer, take more from it to perform more powerful actions, but even they have limits. Eladonia Bloodworth dried up her well by creating the sanctuary dimension Eladon; it consumed her. Taking too much when you're not ready eats away at you. At first, you may feel like you're catching a cold, or the flu (headaches, body aches, fever, fatigue, nausea) but as you deplete yourself more this only progresses - it goes to the mind. Memory loss, irritability, depression: sometimes, even insanity. The unlucky mages who progress past this stage suffer the worst, which is the slow degeneration of their physical senses. Unable to see, hear, touch, taste - even smell - they fade away.**

 **Q: 3.) Regarding the world, may I ask about life inside both the real dimension and about the pocket dimensions? Are there people living in the pocket dimensions? Does Eladonia have a Magic academy or something of the like?**

 **A: The real dimension is the "real" world that's similar to ours. It's modern with an indeterminate year. In Somnum, there is no "living" person, by the usual definition anyway. Think of it like an underworld, but instead, it's another dimension. People definitely live in Eladon - it's the sanctuary dimension, the only place mages can be truly "safe" from the Expiravit as they cannot enter it. Bloodworth Manor is in Eladon. Lady and Lord Bloodworth, Eladonia's children, have turned the manor into a boarding school/haven for young mages. It's an unofficial magic academy.**

 **Q: 4.) Is there a social status system in Eladon? Like Noble mages and Commoner mages? And if so, what is the relationship between the two statuses?**

 **A: There is a ruling body in Eladon, I suppose it would be a meritocratic oligarchy as only a small group of mages are in "charge," but first they must prove themselves through something called the Rite of Certamen. This is basically a big mage tournament/competition (or a highly important mage Olympics) to find out who the best of the best is, and the winners? They get to go into the government, being granted the title of Lord or Lady. To test your mettle in the Rite of Certamen, one must be at least twenty years of age.**

 **The seat of the government is the Atrium Vipera, which is simultaneously the court and the city. The Lords and Ladies serve until death, displacement, or retirement. The Atrium Vipera has a vicious reputation, but if one can circumnavigate the cutthroat politics and deadly intrigue they're in a very favorable position. The families of the Lords and Ladies make up the rest of the upper-class, enjoying the luxuries and entitlement that gives them. However, they're not safe from assassination or political schemes either. Most of these families live with their governmental family member in Atrium Vipera.**

 **The relationship between the ruling mages, their families, and the "lower class" mages is what you'd expect. There's sometimes tension, as the upper-class can look down on the lower, but so far nothing openly hostile has occurred.**

 **Q: 5.) How does the world see the mages? Are they shunned?**

 **A: The mages are like any minority in our world. Throughout history, they have been treated rather unfairly (okay, treated pretty horribly) by their non-magical counterparts (The Salem witch trials, for example). Over time, however, they've been granted more rights (though in some countries they're still unwanted and shunned); in first world countries in Europe and the USA (and many other places, of course), mages enjoy more civil liberties than they would elsewhere. There's still much discrimination - no mage has openly been elected anywhere, and for the most part normal people seem to care little for the mages' plight with the Expiravit, though there are support groups. It's seen as simply "The way it is."**

 **Q: 6.) How do non-magical people fight magical people?**

 **A: There's never been a mage versus non-mage war. There's simply not enough mages for that; they're very much a minority. Non-magical humans outnumber them very, very greatly, and mages can't exactly settle down and start a revolt. They're constantly fleeing from the Expiravit. But there are dark ways a mage's power can be suppressed. "Research" done by twisted Nazi scientists during World World Two has found that constant stress on the magical body through various tortures can induce a magic "suppression." They never got much farther than that; a mage who can't use their powers is defenseless against an Expiravit.**

 **Q: 7.) Is there techno magical constructs? Technomagical weaponry?**

 **A: Yes, there are technomagical constructs and more than likely weaponry. Since it would impossible for me to make up all of these things and put them here, I'll leave it to the imagination of the submitters until something directly comes up.**

This will be updated as more people have concerns. Don't be afraid to ask! I'll be honest, I haven't planned out everything, but I will try my best. If you have questions about anything above, go ahead and send them to me.

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 **To My Reviewers:**

 **Warcraft505 -** Thank you! I'm so flattered you like my writing style! I'm glad you liked the way I described the figure - I was worried it might be confusing how they are two people in one. I'm excited to receive your OC! Thank you for reviewing!

 **The Restless Drifter** \- Thank you! I'm so happy you like this idea; I honestly thought people wouldn't be interested. I can't wait to see what kind of character you come up with!


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